ChocolateBet: June 18, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:


Laloo's Goat's Milk Ice Cream Company
Rumplemint Ice Cream
Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (92 g.)/ 1 Pint (473 mL) total container
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $4.49 for 1 Pint
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Mint Ice Cream Theme Week.

I didn't specify what kind of milk or cream. So how about some Rumplemint ice cream, with chocolate chips, made with goat's milk?

Laloo's Goat's Milk Ice Cream Company is based in Petaluma, CA, in Sonoma County.

Today, Sonoma County is known more for grapevines than goats. But, if you drive around Petaluma in the winter or spring you'll see lots of green pastureland for cows, chickens, and goats too. (The rest of the year the grass is more golden brown.)

If I hadn't known this was made from goat's milk, I might not have guessed. It had a very, very slight taste difference, but nothing objectionable. This ice cream tasted rich and creamy like traditional ice cream, but was lower in fat (and calories).

The bits of dark chocolate in the ice cream were somewhat frozen and hard to taste (as was the case with most chocolate chips in frozen desserts, and most ice creams sampled this week); but, what I could taste seemed fine.

ChocolateBet: June 17, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Mint Chip ice cream
Good+
Weight:
Calories: 250 calories (guesstimate) in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $7.50 for 1 Pint
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream, Palo Alto, CA

Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream is a popular ice cream shop within walking distance of my house. However, I never seem to go there on foot. I tend to stop by there in the car, on the way back from errands, so that I can dash home with some ice cream quickly, before it melts. Today I picked up a quart of mint chip, and a quart of lavender honey ice cream. Both great summer flavors.

As promised, this Rick's ice cream tasted rich and creamy, and the mint flavoring tasted authentic. The chocolate chips were a little on the hard/frozen side (a common occurrence with some chocolate chips); but I could still taste a nice dark chocolate flavor. A little fresh mint for a garnish, and life was good. I managed to eat this just before it melted into a bowl of sweet mint soup.

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Mint Ice Cream Theme Week. 

ChocolateBet: June 16, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fiorello's
Mint Chip Artisan Gelato
Very Good
Weight: 1/2 cup / 1 Pint (473 mL - estimate) container
Calories: 190 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.99 for 1 Pint
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Mint Ice Cream Theme Week. Warm weather once again called for some kind of frozen treat. I breakfasted upon a small bowl of delicious Mint Chip Artisan Gelato from Fiorello's (San Rafael, CA).

The Mint Chip gelato was flavorful, dense, creamy and satisfying without being too sweet or heavy. While price does not always correlate with better taste, this was a case where I paid more for a quality product, and I was happier with the result. I was also happy to see a natural, cream-colored gelato base. While I love colors, I can live without brightly or artificially colored (green) mint desserts.

As for the chocolate, instead of hard, frozen chips, this gelato was filled with small, grated pieces and flecks of chocolate, which tasted much better.

Last, but not least, below was a quote from Christine C.'s review of Fiorello's on yelp. Although this review was for the company's chocolate hazelnut gelato, I loved the idea that two flavors could high five each other. It made me smile.

"...Neither the chocolate nor the hazelnut overpowers each other. Instead, they high five each other and let each other shine."

Ditto for today's mint and chocolate flavors.

ChocolateBet: June 15, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mitchell's Ice Cream
Thin Mint Ice Cream
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1/2 cup (91 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 250 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.50 for 1 cup
Purchased from: San Francisco Norman's Ice Cream and Freezes, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Mint Ice Cream Theme Week. Given the warm, sunny weather we've been having, frozen desserts that combine chocolate and mint this week seemed like a good choice.

I had a great walk in the sunshine this afternoon through Maritime Aquatic Park, along the water, in San Francisco. On my way back to the car, I stopped at Norman's Ice Cream and Freezes shop in the Cannery. Norman and Priscilla, the very pleasant and helpful duo managing the shop, were serving Mitchell's Ice Cream (San Francisco).

And, when I arrived, Norman was chopping up a large block of Callebaut chocolate, to use for hot fudge topping for ice cream sundaes. I was offered a taste in the form of a chip off this block. A great chocolate melted down for a topping sounded much better than most prepared chocolate sauces. I skipped the hot fudge sundae today, but I'll be back to try this in the near future.

Thank you to Priscilla who scooped up some Mitchell's Thin Mint Ice cream in a cup for me.

Skinny Cow - White Mint Truffle bars: June 14, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Skinny Cow (Nestle brand)
White Mint Truffle (frozen bars)
Good+
Weight: 2.65 fl. oz. (63 g.)/ 15.9 fl. oz. (470 mL) total package of 6 bars
Calories: 100 calories for 1 bar
Cost: $5.99 for total box/package of 6 bars
Purchased from: Molly Stone's Markets, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate Cow Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Mint Ice Cream Theme Week. The two themes converged here with a Skinny Cow White Mint Truffle frozen bar from Nestle.

This creamy, white, low fat, mint-flavored ice cream bar was drizzled with "chocolatey ribbons" and contained both natural and artificial flavors. I was impressed with the smooth texture. I did not read the ingredients list too closely to see how this was accomplished. Weighing in at a mere 100 calories per bar, this Skinny Cow bar was a more satisfying dessert treat than I'd expected.

ChocolateBet: June 13, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Straus Family Creamery
Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1/2 cup (91 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL)
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $3.50 total container (sale price)
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate Cow Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Mint Ice Cream Theme Week.

This organic, gluten free Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream from Straus Family Creamery (Petaluma, CA) was just fine for a late breakfast. Made with milk and cream from Holstein and Jersey cows, organic chocolate chips, and flavored with organic peppermint extract, it was refreshing to taste good ice cream, and to see ice cream that didn't look like it had been doused with green food coloring by a heavy-handed leprachaun. 

ChocolateBet: June 12, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

got milk? Magic Milk Straws
Chocolate
Good
Weight: .32 oz. (9 g.) for 2 straws / Net wt. .95 oz. (27 g.) total package of 6 straws
Calories: 32 calories for 2 straws
Cost: $ close-out sale price
Purchased from: Lucky Supermarket, Union City, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate Cow Theme Week.

I inserted two of today's "got milk?" Chocolate Magic Milk Straws (marketed and distributed by FMMI in Minnesota) into a glass of milk. And when I sipped milk through the straw, it became lightly flavored with chocolate. These straws were partially open at both ends and were filled with little round, chocolate "beads" that dissolved slowly as they interacted with liquid, turning the milk a very light chocolate color.  A very clever idea.

I liked that the milk was less sweet than chocolate milk usually available in stores. According to the label, these straws contained no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and were gluten free. Even better.